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Cespedes, Donaldson closing in on All-Star starts

6/27/14: Yoenis Cespedes shows off his arm again as he nails Giancarlo Stanton at the plate in the 3rd inning against the Marlins

By Aaron Leibowitz
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MLB.com |

The A's have not had a fan-elected All-Star Game starter since Jason Giambi in 2000. Now they are days away from having two in 2014.

With voting concluding on Thursday, Josh Donaldson maintains a comfortable lead among American League third basemen. Meanwhile, as of Monday's ballot update, A's left fielder Yoenis Cespedes had surpassed Toronto's Melky Cabrera for third place in the AL outfield.

Cespedes has a 12,047-vote edge over Cabrera and an 88,285-vote advantage over Baltimore's Adam Jones. And if he hangs on, Cespedes will join Donaldson in the AL starting lineup.

"It's nice to get some recognition that way, but it really comes down to how they perform on the field, and they're getting what they deserve," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "Whether nationally it's something that puts more of a focus on us, I don't know, but based on what we've seen the last few years, it's only been the pitching end. And hopefully we can get some position players there, too."

Entering Oakland's series opener in Detroit on Monday, Cespedes was tied for eighth in the league with 55 RBIs and led all Major League outfielders with 10 assists.

In 2013 at Citi Field, Cespedes became the first Home Run Derby winner who had not been selected to that year's All-Star roster. This would mark his first All-Star Game appearance in three MLB seasons.

"I feel so happy," Cespedes said Monday through interpreter Ariel Prieto. "I've been working for that. So if I have those results now, it's because my [performance] says everything, the way that I'm working."

Cespedes extended his hitting streak to 14 games on Monday.

"It's very good, it's important to do that all the time," he said. "You see with me right now maybe a little more inspiration to keep doing the same thing all the way through."

Donaldson and Cespedes could also potentially take the field on July 15 with A's catcher Derek Norris, who sits in second place behind injured Orioles backstop Matt Wieters. If Wieters does finish in first, AL manager John Farrell will have the final say in selecting his starter.

Norris would seem to be a logical choice, given that he leads AL catchers with a .915 OPS. He also could conceivably catch Wieters by Thursday, though his margin is currently 179,336 votes. Norris has not played since Friday due to lower back tightness.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday at 8:59 p.m. PT. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans this year once again can participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Gillette Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 14.

The 2014 AL and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the Taco Bell All-Star Selection Show on Sunday, July 6, beginning at 4 p.m. on ESPN, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Aaron Leibowitz is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @aaron_leib. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.